New study examines cloned and transgenic animals

August 24, 2009
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by Bryan Salvage

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WASHINGTON — A study titled "Animal Productivity and Genetic Diversity: Cloned and Transgenic Animals," which reviews the complexities surrounding the issue of transgenic and cloned animals and presents the science behind the issues, has been released by the Council for Agriculture Science and Technology, relays the American Meat Institute. This paper is part eight of a nine-part C.A.S.T. series titled "Animal Agriculture's Future through Biotechnology."

The lack of public acceptance has been one main limitation to the further development and use of these technologies. Proponents of biotechnological approaches should consider consumers’ concerns and the government should develop a regulatory process addressing consumers’ apprehension while offering realistic expectations of biotechnology, the eight-member international task force that wrote the issue paper suggests.

Topics including the cloning of farm animals for breeding and direct food consumption; disease resistance in transgenic animals; and the use of transgenics for improved food safety and quality; decreased environmental impact and increased production efficiency are addressed by the authors.

C.A.S.T., an international consortium of 33 scientific and professional societies, assembles, interprets and communicates credible science-based information regionally, nationally and internationally to legislators, regulators, policymakers, the media, the private sector and the public.

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